Taylor Swift has officially clarified why she won’t be performing at the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, ending weeks of speculation among fans.
The Cruel Summer hitmaker had long been rumored to headline the major event next February, making many fans curious when Bad Bunny was announced as the official performer last week.
Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night, the 35-year-old pop star addressed the rumour head-on after Jimmy asked if she had “turned down the Super Bowl because of performance footage.”
Swift responded, “No,” before explaining the real reason behind her decision. “Here’s the thing. Jay-Z has always been very good to me. Our teams are really close. They sometimes will call and say how does she feel about the Super Bowl and that’s not an official offer or a conference room conversation… We’re always able to tell him the truth, which is that I am in love with a guy who does that sport on that actual field.”
The singer, who is engaged to American football player Travis Kelce, described football as “violent chess” and admitted that her focus during the season is entirely on her fiancé’s games.
“Can you imagine if he’s out there every single week putting his life on the line, doing this very dangerous, very high-pressure, high-intensity sport, and I’m like, ‘I wonder what my choreo should be. I think we should do two verses of Shake It Off into Blank Space into Cruel Summer would be great,’” she said.
Taylor Swift was quick to emphasize that her decision had nothing to do with Kelce discouraging her from performing. “This is nothing to do with Travis; he would love for me to do it. I’m just too locked in,” she clarified.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement in August after two years of dating.
The 2026 Super Bowl is set to take place on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
